LVSoxFan

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 4, 2015 -> 02:49 PM) We have Sale and Abreu to be proud about....and Quintana/Eaton/Avi to a lesser extent. Other than that, neither Hahn nor KW will be winning any awards because you actually have to produce on the field of play. And trotting out a subpar manager (and, once again...do we blame Reinsdorf, KW or Hahn) doesn't help matters, either. He's certainly not maximizing the talent of his roster, that's for sure. I like this post. I remember thinking when all the splash moves were made in the offseason: now we're going to find out how real a manager Ventura is, since not having the talent underneath him has been the narrative. I wonder if that's backwards. That the first move is manager because a manager can make the most of the stars but also bring the lesser names up to their full potential. At least I THINK that's what a manager's supposed to do. It's interesting because somebody just mentioned the Garcia "experiment" but really, isn't Ventura the biggest "experiment" being tried here? And if the goal is "win now" and forget rebuilding, why would you decide this was the time to do such an experiment? I would think you'd "experiment" during rebuilding years, where there's no expectation to win and once the pieces are in place, you send the experiment manager on his way for a real manager--like, yes, the Cubs did. If I had to guess and I don't know as much about the game as so many of you here, you're seeing the results of what is yes, very much a family business where family loyalty and politics are given more priority than executing on the field year after year. That whole Ozzie/Kenny thing at the end seemed like something out of Game of Thrones, with two sons trying to off the other to be the favorite of the father. I feel like I've been watching the same thing for the better part of a decade: a few guys whose jersey you can buy with confidence (Abreu, Sale) surrounded by guys you won't remember in three years (save for Ramirez). I thought the plan was, one or two years ago, to rebuild and I was fine with that. But here we are back to "win now!" mode so we made a couple of splash moves but... yeah. Maybe Kenny looked at KC and thought we could emulate their success and it's just a few key moves away? Because IIRC he seems to abhor the idea of a rebuilding year. As for when will it change, the answer is simple I think: when Jerry passes the torch. Not sure if there's an heir there that would keep it in the family and do a Rocky Wirtz (please!), or if it means another owner entirely comes in. But I've seen this film for years now and have no reason to believe it will change until that happens. 2005 was great but that was the exception, not the rule.

If we're having this discussion at the end of May then it would make sense to me. Yeah, we suck right now but again: it's been a month. April at that. The 2005 Sox were picked to finish fourth; granted, they came out blazing and never looked back (until September) but people were excited about this team for a reason, including the players themselves. I'm not giving up on them just yet.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 4, 2015 -> 09:00 AM) Firing an entire front office based on 21 games is prime Steinbrenner territory. Good way to put it.

As many points as this guy has, I mean: really? After one month? He wants to blow up the team? This reeks of knee-jerk or what two of you have already said: he's just been waiting to write this piece. I really don't think the players are the issue here.

I guess I'm surprised at the first four games thus far for the total lack of offense. Meaning: it's like 2014 and somebody just paused it, and hit "play" this week. Ouch.

He never did really pan out but he was a totally likeable guy. I hope he has a new beginning in Cali. That said, I'm excited to see the new faces! Obviously we're rebuilding so WTH, let's get on with it!

OUCH. That was scary. He never saw it even coming. This could have been much worse.

Sigh. Seems like we've been here many times in the past few years, the chicken-or-the-egg conundrum? Is it that he's a crappy manager who can't bring out the best in his players? Or is it that they're a so-so team where there's nothing to bring out of them? I guess I'd be thinking at this point if it is a rebuilding year and we're going to have a fire sale after the ASB, I don't know what the point of firing him mid-rebuild is. If we all had high hopes for this season that were decimated by bad managing, maybe that would make sense. But we really didn't have those high hopes, did we?

I concur with many here that even if you gave me tickets to the game I wouldn't have gone (I went to Opening Day, though). Baseball is just no fun when it's cold out and why they start this season in April up here in the north is beyond me. Also consider Hawks and Bulls are still in their seasons and yes right now I'm in Hawks mode and will be until their season ends at which point I will return to my Sox. Unlike the Sox for years, the Hawks are a team that always has a chance to contend. I wouldn't draw too much from a nasty day game in 30 degree weather. We'll see how it pans out. Look, winning = attendance and I really think people are fed up with the Cubs so you might see a new generation of Sox fans come along.

I totally vote for the 69 uniforms--like 'em. As for the new hats. Not bad.

I've seen "Now if we can just trade Dunn!" appear numerous times here in this thread. Who in their right mind would ever shell out for Dunn?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Nov 3, 2013 -> 08:07 AM) We could put together a list of all the former HOF players on the Sox. Griffey, Jr. Thome. Vizquel. Seaver. Carlton. Pudge Fisk. Roberto Remember the Alomar. Michael Jordan (BB). Bo Jackson (CFB). Frank Thomas. Remember the Alomar. LMAO!

I'm happy for Jake. Long time coming.

I love Paulie but the idea of dumping Dunn to make room for him is ludicrous. Paulie was ALREADY on borrowed time when he had the last two good seasons; now age and injury are becoming insurmountable. I idea of dumping Dunn just to... dump Dunn is also a non-starter, unless you get something of value of him, which you won't. Send Paulie off in style, realize that Dunn is here one more year, and build around that. Amirite, people?

I will always marvel at how they killed an already-flagging Cubs/Sox series by starting to put it on weekdays. Absurd.

Yeah but it was rare for him to show anger like that.

Even Buehrle--Buehrle!--did that once so I wouldn't worry too much if this is the only time it happens.

I certainly will always owe him for 2005 and it was fun having him as a crazy manager for 2004, 2005 and part of 2006. Then it wasn't fun anymore. And then it inconceivably dragged on for YEARS when he probably should have left after 2007. I remember breaking up with a girl because things hadn't gotten bad, just "meh." She didn't understand at the time, but I said "Better to break up while we still like each other rather than drive it into the ground and break up when we never want to see each other again." The latter is what happened to Ozzie. But I can still look back and think only of the good times (aka "nostalgic recall")--I just never want to see him manage the Sox again.

How can anybody bad-mouth him after he saved the Buehrle game? Which I happened to be AT, yo. I believe "The Catch" is still printed on the LF wall, right? After they made the heinous decision to take off all the Sox HOF players and simply put their numbers under the Stadium Club? Lame.

QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ Jul 30, 2013 -> 10:43 AM) Arnie Munoz? Nooooooooooooooo!

Does anybody seriously believe that Dunn is going anywhere? I don't. As for Rios, if we're hesitant to "send money" with him combined with his known head issues I would guess he's staying put too unless somebody's that desperate for an outfielder and/or think they can motivate... a veteran. What I am looking forward too though is this place after the deadline, because if Han "sits on his hands" the posts will be epic and if he makes some serious moves we have a lot to talk about!

LOL Balta +1 on that.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 06:44 AM) I really don't, and I kind of feel bad about it. If we go young next year, I don't want a laid back guy like him in charge. That would be the time to go after Dave Martinez. Just bring up guys and let them play. Seems to work for other teams. Actually I was all for keeping him on until I read this. I agree.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jul 24, 2013 -> 10:54 AM) He seems like a real douchenozzle, but if he does a professional job, he would be ok. Same with Matt Vasgersian. I just hope the next PBP guy isn't a former player. Get somebody in their 30's or 40's that will be here for a while, knows something about modern baseball, and can put the focus on the field, and not on themselves. +1 to that second part especially the "not themselves" part.

OK, 40--whatever. You get the idea. I'm under 60 and yet I had to ask. What a lame analogy to begin with.